We can recite Elon Musk’s achievements while sleeping: co-founder of currency giant PayPal; founder of Tesla, this electric car company is changing the world; founder of SpaceX, this company is trying to get us out of this The world and colonize another world. We can also absently recite a series of adjectives describing him: innovation, leader, genius, visionary, futurist, entrepreneur. In Chapter
, can we not only quantify the things that made Musk so successful, but can we also start to incorporate them into our own lives? It may be a bit difficult to do, but I think it is possible.
I have worked with very tall artists for most of my career. Although their talents, habits, and professional ethics have left a deep impression on me, their level is still not up to Musk’s level. For some time, I have been evaluating Musk and outlined five different reasons for his success. I will talk about them here.
“No” has no meaning
Musk’s first wife told him an anecdote when he was in college. He scored 98% in one test. As a perfectionist, he went to his teacher and his score became 100%. Now many of you will read this and think: Why? What’s the point of doing this? I will be very happy 98%. I feel the same way. But this simple little detail is being defined.
You see, the 2% that separates Musk from his current scoring and perfection sounds like a huge “no” to him. But he will not refuse to answer. Even 2%. 100% was enough for him to put himself in a potentially awkward situation, talking with his teacher, and he had a difficult conversation that many people avoided. In the end, he escaped by chance. Why? Because “no” has no meaning.
If we can overcome the initial fear of being told “no” and understand that “no” doesn’t really make sense, we will be better off. How many opportunities are lost for fear of asking questions?
A Single, Blink-Free Focus
Musk has perfected the art of staying focused. In fact, in the early days of Tesla, there was a period of time to solve a specific problem, so Musk slept under his desk and worked 75 hours a week until the problem was resolved.
He did not think of anything else. He was not distracted by other tedious tasks. He concentrates only on the task at hand. Now look at Tesla – he’s a rising giant that’s changing the automotive world. If it weren’t for Musk’s unwavering attention to the forefront, this certainly wouldn’t be the case.
This type of concentration allows Musk to perfect the art of entering the “flow state,” “In this state of mind, a person is completely immersed in an energetic sense of focus, concentration, and enjoyment while performing an activity. Process. This state of fluency can only be achieved if the person is not distracted by other less important tasks.
Think about your own work-life and the way you handle daily tasks. How often will you be distracted? How long will you be? Will some small-scale things attract your attention, thereby reducing your productivity and efficiency? How do you plan your day so that you can complete one task and then move on to the next efficiently, with enthusiasm, and with determination?
Professional ethics fueled by passion
Another factor that helps Musk enter and maintain a fluid state is related to the quality of the work he does. Musk is a perfect case study, and his professional ethics are driven by his passion. He likes what he does because he does what he likes. His enthusiasm for work is so strong that he works overtime until late at night, working 80 hours a week, as we discussed in the previous section, he sleeps under his desk.
The truth is that if we are passionate about the work we are doing — or find passion — work no longer feels like work. It becomes a mission or a game, and we find ourselves enjoying what we are doing. Working eighty hours a week does not feel like working a week because our passion drives us.
Thinking Big Thinking Small
Many of Musk’s great ideas come from small problems. How can we make California’s transportation more convenient? A railway. Electrified railway. An electric railway goes through a huge tunnel and dug to the side of the mountain. The initial questions are always small, and then the answers gradually increase. Then take out the answer to each question and do your best to develop it. The way of musk.
So find a small idea. Give obvious answers, then turn them around and pursue them tenaciously. Big ideas always come from small ideas.
Unwavering, healthy strength
Musk is clearly strong. In fact, each of the four characteristics we described above is cultivated by people with some strength. However, Musk did this in a healthy and constructive way.
I know too many people who try to bring a certain intensity and exhaustion to their work, collapse or go too far. They kick people out, lose control, or end up underperforming.
I believe Musk can maintain his healthy strength because of his fluidity, his enthusiasm for work, and his sheer focus.
Also Read: Controlling Your Emotions
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